Goderich Surgical Centre

4,193 surgical operations in 2017.

Goderich Surgical Centre

In 2001, EMERGENCY took over an abandoned medical clinic in Goderich, a village in the outskirts of Freetown, which was then refurbished and transformed into a surgical centre. Two new wards were built in 2003, one of them specifically for paediatric malaria, acute anaemia and respiratory infections cases.

Unique to Sierra Leone, EMERGENCY Surgical Centre implemented a programme of oesophageal dilatation for burn victims, specifically children. Oesophageal burns can be caused by the accidental ingestion of caustic soda. This is a fairly common occurrence since caustic acid is a fundamental ingredient of homemade soap. 213 children were treated in the Goderich Surgical Centre in 2017 for oesophageal burns caused by the ingestion of caustic soda.

Admission criteria include emergency surgery, especially abdominal, trauma surgery and elective surgery for the treatment of congenital or acquired malformations, such as clubfoot or consequences of poliomyelitis.